Morning Brief: 'The unipolar moment is over'

Fri, 11/21/2008 - 8:00am

Top Story

U.S. power and influence is waning, according to a new report by the U.S. intelligence community. The good news? So is al Qaeda's.

But "the unipolar moment is over," declared Tom Fingar, chairman of the National Intelligence Council (NIC), in announcing the report.

The NIC expects United States will remain the world's foremost economic and military superpower. But its report, "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World," argues that the rise of powers like China and India means that the United States will be just one of many players in a "global multipolar system." It concludes, "The US will remain the single most important actor but will be less dominant."

Now, writes columnist Philip Stephens of the findings, "the world confronts a choice between chaos and order," adding, "[President-elect Barack] Obama would do well to read it closely."

U.S. Presidential Transition

Hillary Clinton is looking increasingly likely as secretary of state. But she might instead play an enhanced role in the Senate.

The ouster of Michigan Rep. John Dingell as chairman could provide a boost for Obama's climate change plans.

Rumor has it Marine Gen. James L. Jones (Ret.) and Adm. Dennis C. Blair (Ret.) are top candidates for senior national security posts.

Verizon employees improperly accessed Obama's cellphone records.

Economy

The world's central bankers have a new fear: deflation.

Floyd Norris questions whether Washington is doing enough to stabilize the U.S. economy.

Americas

A federal judge ruled that five Guantánamo prisoners have been held unlawfully and must be released.

U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey is "in good spirits" after collapsing during a speech Thursday evening.

CIA officials withheld information from Congress about the downing of a plane in Peru, the agency's inspector general has concluded.

Asia

A bomb disrupted a Pakistan Shiite funeral, killing at least six people.

Exile groups say China is cracking down in Tibet.

A popular Burmese comedian was sentenced to 45 years in prison for criticizing the government.

Middle East and Africa

Insurgents attacked Mogadishu, the ostensible capital of Somalia. Ethiopian troops are supposed to begin withdrawing today.

The U.N. Security Council approved sending more than 3,000 additional peacekeeping troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it's anybody's guess where they will come from.

Thousands of Iraqis protested the prospective troop deal with the United States.

Europe

Economic activity is rapidly decreasing in the eurozone, shocking observers.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy introduced a $25 billion "strategic investment fund" to protect French industries from the economic downturn.

Weekend Agenda

Peru hosts 21 heads of state for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visits Latin America, along with some Russian warships.

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Who pays Philip Stephens to write this stuff?

by Don Bacon on Fri, 11/21/2008 - 11:39am

Philip Stephens: ". . .the fact that much of the world still sees the US as an essential guardian of security."

In fact, much of the world dislikes the US, is anti-American and sees the US as a threat to security. From a March 2007 Pew Global Research Report:

Beyond the bottom line percentages I would like to describe to you what we have learned about nature of the anti-Americanism we see today. First, it is worldwide. This is not just a rift with our European allies or hatred of America in the Middle East. It is a global slide, and positive views of the U.S. have declined in other regions of the world, particularly in Latin America and Asia.

Second, while anti-Americanism is a global phenomenon, it is clearly strongest in the Muslim world.

Third, among many people, anti-Americanism is an intensely held opinion, which makes it difficult to change.

A fourth feature of contemporary anti-Americanism is that it is no longer just the U.S. as a country that is perceived negatively, but increasingly the American people as well, a sign that anti-American opinions are deepening and becoming more entrenched. In countries such as Spain, Jordan, Indonesia, and Turkey, favorable views of Americans have declined significantly in recent years.

In most of the countries surveyed, fewer than half said Americans are honest, while majorities said we are greedy and violent. Significant numbers also considered Americans rude and immoral.

Anti-Americanism is the case in much of the world, not just Muslim countries, and certain aspects of American power and American policy are central to this. There is a general perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally in the international arena, failing to take into account the interests of other countries when it makes foreign policy decisions